Art in the Garden: How to Revamp Your Green Space

With more and more people choosing to stay put and do up their homes, rather then sell on and buy bigger and better houses, this naturally extends to their gardens and living spaces outdoors. People are not now content to just have a few chairs and tables scattered in their gardens, they want this green space to reflect their creative sides and to showcase their love of art, as they have done with the interior of their homes. Gardens are now much more than simply a space to grow and show off plants. They are an extra room in their own right and as such, you can treat them exactly the same way as you would a normal room, with artifacts and ‘pictures’, mosaics and hanging objects, even sculptures and statues can particularly look beautiful in a garden. It is all a matter of personal taste. With this in mind, we have chosen some amazing garden art from madebyhandsofbritain.com to give you an idea of what is possible in your own gardens. See what you think.

Abinger Stained Glass Heart – £150

Each gem like piece of this heart is individually made from 2 pieces of glass. The glass is cut and a small heart metal is placed between the pieces. Some have been painted on in silver or gold and fired in. Some little hearts have been made with other metals, brass, and meshes and even silver foil! Some with wires and others with glass shards. I then fire this up to 800 degrees. The little gems of glass are then encased in copper foil and soldered together. This produces a really quirky and unique piece of glass art. It will look stunning either in a window or on a sunny wall. The light coming through the glass makes the copper hearts glow and the air bubbles glisten. On a sunny wall the light will bounce off the metals and be totally enchanting as it changes with the light. Heart of Hearts measures 190mm x 260mm.

Joanne Bowles Metal Convex Wire Wall Hanging – £660

This is a unique metal wall hanging, inspired by natural forms such as corals and fungi. It looks very beautiful and quite dramatic and can be hung easily on just one nail or screw into your wall. All the work is handmade by the artist Joanne Bowles. The steel wire in this piece is textured by hand using hammers and a stake on the anvil. The wires are then bent into shape and meticulously welded together. The piece is then wax coated which protects it against any corrosion (for indoor use only). If you are interested in any work for the outdoors please contact Joanne and she can discuss options with you. The dimensions of this piece are: Width 60cm, Depth (coming out from the wall) 35cm.

Rolling Hills Garden Sculpture – £325

I am inspired by my surroundings. For me the changing seasons supply me with new vision as the colours change and the landscape moves through its cycles. I reflect this in both my stained glass and my fused glasswork and use fusing techniques within my stained glass too. The sculptures below were designed in 2009 and made in the summer of 2010. Employing bright highly polished stainless steel, which reflects the leaves around, works excellently. The panels are called Rolling Hills. The viewer can see through the fused glass spaces to their own landscape be it a small town garden or a garden with open fields beyond, blending the two. The sculptures are made to order and each one is different, however you are able to contact me to discuss your preferred colour ways. I make them in half a meter, 1metre and 1.5 metre. The price shown below is for the 1.5m.

Rachel Carter Sculpture Willow Drops – £250

The latest sculpture from Rachel Carter, Willow Drops, combine mild steel tendril stands powder-coated with a light green colour and a spherical willow drop of freshly woven willow. The new Willow Drops are the ultimate movable sculpture, as the specially designed stand allows the willow drop to sway and spin in the breeze. The Willow Drop Sculptures are the first sculptures to be designed after enjoying the success of being short-listed for the 2011 RHS Chelsea Product of the Year. Willow withies are woven onto a strong frame of mild steel, which creates a structural skeleton for the sculpture, the woven willow is preserved in the traditional manner with Boiled Linseed Oil. Please allow 4-6 weeks for your Willow Drops to be created, as each Drop is carefully created by hand.